Tunnel Rats (music group)

History

The Tunnel Rats formed after rapper Dax Reynosa performed at a graffiti equipment store called Hex's Hip Hop Shop. He then invited about two dozen rappers to his house for an open mic, drawing performers from racially diverse backgrounds—Latinos, whites, and blacks—groups that Reynosa said did not always get along at the time. Standout performers included Reynosa's cousin Jurny Big, his sister Zane One, the four-member group Future Shock (Ahred a.k.a. Redbonz, Ajax Starglider, Sojourn, and DJ Trey-Qel), and Shames Worthy (a.k.a. Raphi), who together became the Tunnel Rats.

Reynosa named the group after his father, who served as a tunnel rat in the Vietnam War. Ahred explained that the tunnel rats were the soldiers who went underground to clear tunnels so others could pass, and the group saw themselves as going first to make way for others. Reynosa stated they never believed they were called to rap but to minister. The collective performed at churches across Southern California, the Northeast, and the Deep South.

Some progressive church leaders accepted them, but many objected to their style, which blended battle rapping with street preaching, accusing them of glorifying their skills over God. The group, predominantly Mexican, faced prejudice in the South; in Mississippi, an establishment refused service because some members were Mexican, and at a Motel 6, member Redbonz screamed into a pillow in disbelief at their treatment. They were paid little or nothing for church performances, and Raphi, as the youngest, often slept in a bathtub.

Musical style

Part of the West Coast underground hip hop scene, Tunnel Rats employs minimalist boom-bap styles, lush jazzy compositions, and scratch-laden music. On Tunnel Vision, the collective adopted an aggressive, turbulent sound; LA Weekly noted the track "T.R'z." used abrasive sound effects and full drums as a wake-up call to a still staid genre. Russ Breimeier described their style as modern hip hop blending melodic hooks and world music sounds. Jayson Young observed that the group's diverse membership—men and women, blacks, whites, and Latinos—produces a very diverse sound. On their self-titled release, producer Dert pursued a more mainstream, diverse, and complex approach.

Influence

According to Jason Bellini of Wade-O Radio, Tunnel Rats were distinguished by calling themselves "rappers-who-were-Christians" rather than "Christian rappers," valuing quality and purity in hip hop art and performing outside churches to compete and collaborate with non-Christians. Bellini listed seventeen artists influenced by the collective, including Christon Gray, Lecrae, Propaganda (who joined the group), Playdough, LA Symphony, and Shad.